Underneath the Starry Night Sky
by thecheeselady
Summary: James loves Lily, everyone knows that. Lily hates James, that's no secret either. But did you know about James apologizing to Lily and promising he'd try to get over her? And what about that hot bloke that had just moved across the street from the Evanses? Did you know about him? And where the hell was Snow's prince? Wait, what? An LJ fic. Rated T for language. Just in case. R&R.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

_The end of sixth year, at King's Cross Station_

"Hey, Evans, wait up!"

"Listen, Potter, my family's waiting for me and I'm not really in the mood to talk to you right now. Or ever, really."

He sighed. "I know, Lily. I know. I just have a few things to say. It won't take long, I promise."

I looked at my watch, the train arrived a few minutes early and I guess a have time to spare.

"Fine, go ahead."

His eyes widened. "Fine? Fine as in I can say what I want to say and—"

"Just get on with it, Potter."

He breathed deeply, looking very much like he was composing himself. "I just wanted to apologize about the whole Sniv—Snape thing last year, I know that hurt you very much and I didn't mean for it to."

My mouth dropped. Did James Potter, biggest git in the planet and prankster extraordinaire, just apologize? About bullying Severus no less?

"I don't know what to say, I—"

He held a hand up to gesture for me to stop speaking. "I'm not done yet," He took another deep breath.

"I also wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you and that l have decided to try my very best to get over you and to cast aside my feelings that will obviously never be returned and to just stop bothering you with them in general. But I also wanted to let you know that you make it so hard. Not because you've lead me on or anything, just because you're Lily Evans and a part of me thinks I will probably never get over you but I owe it to both of us to at least try. So there."

If I didn't know what to say then, Merlin only knows what I'm supposed to say now. And a part me was waiting for him to tell me this was all a big joke and to ask me to go out with him this summer, but logic and common sense tell me otherwise. He was sincere.

"You don't have to say anything, I just had to get all of that out."

He threw me a small smile, a smile that didn't really reach his eyes. A smile that was unlike any smile he's ever given me before, it was lackluster compared to all the others.

"Your mum's over there, waiting for you." He motioned towards the entrance of the platform. "I'll just carry those for you." He took my trunk and Snow's case from my hands and went over to my parents.

I felt like I was in a dream. And I was yet to decide whether it was a good one or not.

I didn't know I followed him until I heard my mother's voice which made me snap out of it.

"Oh, you sweet boy, you didn't have to carry those. Was my silly daughter too lazy again?"

Potter smiled. "Not at all, ma'am. Just wanted to help and I couldn't miss this opportunity to finally meet Ev—Lily's beautiful mother. I have to say, for a second there, I thought you were her sister. I see now where Lily's good looks come from."

He was charming my mother, of course. And you could practically feel my mother's delight fill the whole platform.

"Oh my, you're making me blush. What was your name again? Lily! Stop sulking over there and introduce me to this lovely young man."

That lovely young man has spent his last six years in this school trying to make my life miserable with his antics and the outrageous ways he and his little friends come up in order to ask me out. That lovely young man, mum, is the reason why I write you frustrated letters every week.

And that lovely young man…had just apologized for all that and promised he would try to get over me.

"Mum, this is James Potter. James, this my mum, Regina."

What? I couldn't tell her all that, could I?

"It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Evans. And I'd love to stay longer but I'm afraid I have to go. My parents are waiting for me." Potter said.

"Please, call me Regina. It was incredibly nice meeting you too, James! Do tell your parents that they've done a marvelous job raising you, dear."

Potter smiled. "Will do, ma'am. Goodbye, Lily, Regina."

As he passes by me, his arm brushed mine, and I think I heard a faint "Don't miss me too much, Evans."

And he disappeared amongst the crowd.

A/N: _Hey there. Did you guys like it? The plot of this story has been in my head for a while now, and I just needed to get it out. Review, if you guys want to see the next chapter. Oh, and I need a beta, if anyone is interested out there, PM me and let me know, okay? And one last thing, I NEED REVIEWS LIKE I NEED OXYGEN. xoxo_


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

It's the summer before seventh year and Alice, Marlene and I were all in my room, on my bed, pretty decent looking sixteen year old girls _debating _of all things. Why were we _debating—_well, at least they were, I was trying my best to not get in the middle of it—when we could be out and having some fun like normal teenage girls? And the worst part was they weren't even debating about anything consequential, at all.

In fact, if you asked me, the matter wasn't even debatable anyway.

But alas, no one has asked me, because apparently I should have no say or whatsoever in the course of my own love affairs. According to my two best friends, at least.

And to be honest, I could care less, really. I was mentally and physically exhausted. Sixth year, for me, brought on a lot of huge changes. Some were good, others were most certainly not. I had other things to think about. But as much as I wanted to just relax and live in peace for the summer, Alice and Marlene had different ideas.

Ideas that revolved around that hot bloke that had just moved across the street.

"I say just ask him out, simple as that. You don't have to bother yourself with playing those petty little games girls like to play. If you really like him, just tell him and be done with it. " Marlene said.

"I think she should play it cool with this one. I'm pretty sure blokes like him are used to girls just throwing themselves at his feet. Play it coy, Lily. Give him something to think about at night, you know?"

"Lily, don't listen to Alice. She clearly wants you to be a part of some weird porno set in the guy's head. Unless, of course, you're into that kind of thing… "

"When did I ever say I wanted Lily to be a part of some weird porno or even _any_ porno for that matter?"

"You literally just said you wanted Lily to give him something to think about at night!"

"You know I didn't mean it that way! Merlin—"

"In what way could you have possibly…"

They went on like that for what seemed like hours. The funny part about all this was that the bloke from across the street—what I shall refer to him from here on out, at least until I get a hold of his name—had just moved across the street two hours ago.

Literally, 120 minutes ago.

I knew this for a fact because Marlene decided that the moment he moved into that house with his lovely family was the start of what she referred to as our 'inevitable love affair' and had taken the trouble of writing down the exact time he stepped into that house on a piece of parchment. After which, she went on about how getting married on December was infinitely better than getting married on June and then proceeded to exclaim how she would be glad to accept the role of maid of honor, to which Alice, of course, just had to express her disagreement.

All of that in a span of 120 minutes. Well, no one ever accused my best friends of being dull.

I cleared my throat. They've been at it long enough.

Marlene glared. "What?"

"Maybe, just _maybe_, you want my opinion on the matter at hand. I am one-half of the golden couple, after all."

"Well, go ahead then. Tell us what you have to say." Marlene said.

"What if I just come up, be the nice neighbor I am, and introduce myself to them?"

"_Them? _Who's them?" Alice asked.

"The hot bloke from across the street and the rest of his family, who else?"

Marlene beamed. "Ooooh, planning on getting cozy with the future in-laws, are we? Now you're talking! I knew you were top of the class for a reason!"

"Or maybe, just _maybe_, you're forgetting that these people are all going to be my _neighbors_, and just maybe I want to do the right thing by introducing myself and welcoming them to the neighborhood." I said.

"No. This clearly isn't just about you being neighborly, Evans. Trust me. "

I raised my eyebrow. "What makes you say that, McKinnon?"

"Because maybe_, _just _maybe, _if you simply wanted to be a good neighbor, you wouldn't dress up so nicely."

I looked down at what I was wearing, one of my dad's old shirts back when he was still in Uni and an old faded pair of trousers. "This is dressing up _nicely?" _I put my hand on her shoulder and gave her my best look of concern, _" _Tell me, Marlene, have you ever found yourself in a museum, looking at the cavemen exhibits and thinking to yourself how incredibly _nice _all their outfits just were? Because if you have…well—"

"Oh, shut it, Lily! Alice, be on the lookout."

_Huh? What on earth did she mean by that?_

I was then unceremoniously yanked out of my bed and was dragged across the hall to my sister's room.

"Get inside." Marlene hissed.

_Oh no._

" Have you gone completely bonkers?! What are we doing here? Petunia could come back home any minute!"

"We, Evans, are going in."

"Oh, no, no, no. _We_ are not going in there. If you want to, go right ahead, be my guest. But you're doing it alone. My sister hates me enough; she is not going to be happy when she finds out that I went inside her room without her permission. With you. _Again_."

"Nonsense! Dear Petunia adores me. And besides, there's still the matter of what you're going to wear when you meet the future in-laws. I still have to make you look _nice_, remember?"

"First of all, my sister _hates_ you. Second of all, they are _not_ my future in-laws. And lastly, I thought I already looked nice?"

Marlene gave me a once over. "Maybe, just _maybe_, you don't."

"I resent that. Besides, why can't you make me look nice using _my _clothes?"

"Maybe, just _maybe, _I can't make you look nice with mythical apparel." Marlene said.

"I'm sure—did you just call my nice clothes mythical?!"

"Maybe, just _maybe—_"

"Stop it already with the maybes!"

"_You_ started it!"

I sighed. "Let's just get this over with already."

A/N: _Because I'm bamf that way and I finished the 1st Chapter and although I didn't get a lot of reviews on the prologue, I still wanted to post this :D_


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

I can do this. I know I can.

All I have to do is knock and introduce myself…or maybe I should have brought something with me after all. But all we had were some leftovers of meat loaf from last night. I doubted they would appreciate that very much.

I shook my head. I should just get on with it. I didn't really have much of a choice since I'm sure Marlene and Alice were looking over the window to watch what's about to happen. It wasn't like I could run away. Even if I wanted to. Very much. And it was my idea after all…

Oh, I'm being _neighborly_, for Merlin's sake! There was nothing wrong with that. Except maybe the ulterior motives I have that may or may not include me wearing one of Petunia's best sundresses andintroducing myself to the hot guy so we—

And lo and behold, the door suddenly opened.

"Dad, I'll just go ahead and throw the trash,"

_Trash?_

His eyes widened when he saw me, "Oh. Hello there."

The hot bloke from across the street was even better looking up close. His blond hair was tousled, probably from all the ruckus of moving in. He was wearing a navy blue shirt and a pair of trousers. And Merlin, he had the bluest eyes I had ever seen, probably even bluer than Professor Dumbledore's.

He looked at me expectantly, and I realized I was yet to say something.

"Erm..Hello! I just wanted to introduce myself and to welcome you—"

"Man, your accent is really cool." Hot bloke from across the street said.

What did he just say?

"I'm sorry?"

"I said your accent is really cool…which probably makes you think I'm a weirdo."

Merlin, I hadn't even considered the fact that he might be some sort of creep who tells strangers that their accents are cool. What if he only looked good but was, in fact, a complete git? Kind of like Potter…

"A little bit, yeah."

He laughed. "Hi, I'm Phillip Thompson. Call me Phillip." He extended his hand. "My dad and I just moved here from New York."

Oh, he's _American._ That's why he thought my accent was cool.

I smiled and took his hand. "Hello, Phillip. I'm Lily Evans and welcome to the neighborhood…and to Great Britain as well, now that I think about it."

He smiled. "Thanks, Lily. And sorry for creeping you out with the accent comment, it's just that I've always been fascinated with the British accent. It's very different from mine, although we speak the same language."

Wait till you meet someone Scottish.

"It's alright. Your accent isn't too bad either."

"Do you, uh, want to come in? Be warned though, it's still pretty messy. I mean, we've just moved in about—"

"Two hours ago, I know."

Merlin, did I just say that out loud?

He looked at me strangely. "How'd you know?"

I DID! I DID! CURSE YOU, MARLENE! CURSE YOU!

Now he's going to think I'm some sort of stalker.

"I..I live from across the street and I saw a movers' truck pull over here just around two hours ago and I put two and two together so…"

He smiled.

Ok, he knows. He's figured it out in his little handsome head. He's going to think I'm such a freak.

"I see. Well, come in then. Make yourself at home; I'll just throw the trash." He said, as he held up the rubbish bag.

I couldn't bring myself to go in without him, so I waited for him to finish throwing the _trash_. But even as I waited by the doorway, I could see that the layout of his house was exactly the same as mine. The staircase was situated by the front door, the kitchen towards the end of a corridor on the right, and the living room just right before the kitchen, on the left side of the corridor.

A tall man emerged from the living room, which I can only assume to be Philip's dad. He had the same blonde hair as his son, and the same bluer than blue eyes.

"Phillip, what on earth is taking you so long? I need you to move those boxe—Oh. Hello. How can I help you?"

"Hello, Mr. Thompson, I'm Lily Evans and I live across the street. I just wanted to introduce myself and to welcome you to the neighborhood."

"Hi Lily! Please, just call me Miles. That's great. You Brits are really nice. You're the _third_ person to come over here and welcome us. And we've only been in the neighborhood for—"

"Two hours, she knows." A voice from behind me said. I turned around and saw the smirking face of hot bloke from across the street. Or should I start calling him Phillip in my head too? When he saw me looking at him, he winked.

Actually _winked_!

This is so embarrassing! Maybe I could Apparate and ask either Marlene or Alice to modify their memories.

"There you are, son. I see you've met Lily,. I've been looking all over for you."

Phillip rolled his eyes. "I told you I was going to throw the trash, remember?" Then he looked over to me, "My dad's ageing process is remarkably fast, as you can see."

Mr. Thompson—Miles smirked. He looked very much like his son at the moment. "Oh, shut up. You'll get here soon enough. You're my kid that means you have my genes."

"But that also means I have Mom's genes. Maybe they don't grow old so fast in her side of the family."

His dad's eyes widened. He looked at his son in shock. Phillip looked shock too, as if he couldn't believe what came out of his mouth.

I felt very much like I was intruding. Come to think of it, Phillip did only say that he and his dad moved here from New York. He didn't mention a mum…

Miles spoke first. "Maybe they don't." He then turned to me, "Lily, you should come over for dinner. Bring your parents too, if they want."

To be honest, I thought he was going to ask me to leave. So the offer caught me completely off guard.

"Oh, I wouldn't want to impose. You're both very busy and most likely tired as well. I wouldn't want to be a bother. And my parents are actually in my sister's fiancé's house at the moment. I only have two of my friends with me at home."

"Oh c'mmon, I clearly asked you, which means you didn't impose at all. It's a shame the rest of your family won't be able to join us though. But you should bring your friends, if they're around you and Miles's age then maybe they could be his friends too. Think of it as a favor to us." He urged.

Phillip cleared his throat. "Yeah, Lily. Have dinner with us. It'll be fun. And I don't really want to be friendless for too long."

What have I got to lose?

"Well, if you put it that way…" I smiled, "I would love to have dinner with you."

Phillip smiled back. "That's more like it. Come back here at around seven. Dinner will be ready by then."

A/N: _Hey reader hey! So she's finally met hot bloke from across the street! :D What do you guys think? Love him? Hate him? Let me know by reviewing! Reviews mean the world to me 3 Till the next chapter!_


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